“A study of the physically disabled at work”

 A comparative study of the physically disabled and normal workmen in industries. Four main variables viz job satisfaction, job involvement, occupational stress and job performance were used in studying the two groups in industry.
Research Registered: 1991        Awarded:  1996
Guide:  Dr. N. Venkataswamy Reddy, Rtd Professor of social work, Bangalore university.
Objectives of the selected topic: Highlighting the contribution of the disabled employees to industries.  Justifying the reservations that are being given. Promotion of rights of the disabled.
University Awarded: Bangalore University 

Tips for the PhD candidates: 
1.    Follow the right research design. 
2.    Use advanced statistics. 
3.    Use extensive literature review. 
4.    Interact with experts and fellow researchers
5.    Work very hard

The structured questionnaire contained 5 parts.

1. Self framed tool for personal, social and demographic variables
2. Pestonjee scale for measuring Job satisfaction
3. Lodahl and kejner scale for measuring job involvement
4. Singh and srivastva scale for measuring occupational stress
5. Performance rating scale for supervisors

Analysis & interpretation: The primary data collected was interpreted and around 50 tables were presented. The comparative tables showed the differences between the disabled and normal workers in all the variables studied. The association between the four major variables was also studied.

Findings:

1. The normal    and the disabled workers were matched statistically in terms of age, gender and educational level. Significant difference between these two groups was noted for marital status, income, number of years of service, number of promotions, training.
2. In more than half the subjects' disability was caused by diseases and accidents accounted for only 18 subjects.  For one fourth of the subjects disability was present by birth. Employment injuries were minimally represented
3. Persons who were disabled as well as normal subjects were highly satisfied with their jobs. The workers with communicative disability were generally less satisfied than the other disabled workers particularly in on-the job areas.
4. All three groups of disabled workmen scored moderately in job involvement.  But significant were recorded between the three groups. The communicative disabled scored least and the orthopedically higher than the other groups. 
5. Both the normal and the disabled workers were in the lower limit of moderate stress. Ten sub variables were studied. Role overload including qualitative overload and quantitative overload.  Role ambiguity, peer pressure, role conflict, under participation, intrinsic impoverishment, Low status, unprofitability and  strenuous working conditions. In most of these areas the disabled and the normal workers showed comparable scores. The communicative disabled showed higher stress than the other groups.
6. The normal workers scored higher than disabled workers in almost all areas of job performance.  Fourteen areas of performance was considered . quantity and of work, speed on the job, capacity of work performance, care in handling company property, ability to work without supervision, ability to handle different jobs, dependability, ability to get along with others, planning ability, attendance, Initiative on the job.  Significant difference was found in the areas of quality of work, amount of effort of expended and ability to different jobs among the different groups studied.
7. When the correlation of the different scales was taken up, the findings showed that job satisfaction and stress were significantly negatively related in both the normal and the combined disabled group as well as the individual disabled group.Variables such as job satisfaction and job involvement showed significant positive correlation in all the groups especially the orthopedically disabled group. 
8. In the study no relation was seen between occupational stress and job performance, in spite  of theoretical support for a relation to be present. None of the groups studied showed a relationship between the variable job involvement and stress , the disabled workers showed a significantly negative relationship. 

Conclusions of the study
The disabled workmen were found to be as satisfied with their jobs as the normal workers in all four areas studied- Satisfaction with job, management, personal and social adjustment. All the subjects of the study show moderate involvement with the job. Factor analysis projects disabled workers to be as duty conscious as normal workers.  Both the groups also experience low to moderate occupational stress.  There are higher level of above average performers in both the groups than below average performers in both the groups.
My Experience :    

The research work was carried out under the Junior research fellowship scholarship of the UGC.  The work was completed within four and a half years time. It was very enriching and fruitful activity. Dedication and hard work is essential. Interaction with experts and fellow researchers is required, Skills in statistically analysis is an added qualification.

Dr. K. Hemalatha
Faculty Deptt. of Social Work, Christ University,  Bangalore - 560029